Billionaires, allies, media personalities. These are the people Trump picked for top roles

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save President Donald Trump prioritized loyalty as he built out a team for his second term, surrounding himself with people who served faithfully in his first administration or who worked on one or more of his three campaigns. Those are not the only ties that connect the people in the highest ranks of his administration. Several are billionaires or campaign donors, or both.

There also are media personalities, former lawmakers and people who worked on Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for slashing government that Trump insisted he had no affiliation with as he campaigned for the White House. Some people in key roles have personal relationships with Trump that go back years, from a onetime caddy at one of Trump's golf courses to his son's former fiancée. Others came around after opposing Trump in the past; examples include his vice president and a handful of Republicans and Democrats who once ran against him.



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Pam Bondi , attorney general Doug Burgum , interior secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer , labor secretary Doug Collins , veterans affairs secretary Sean Duffy , transportation secretary Tulsi Gabbard , director of national intelligence Jamieson Greer , trade representative U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies during a House Committee on Ways and Means hearing on Capitol Hill, April 9, in Washington.

Kimberly Guilfoyle , ambassador to Greece Kevin Hassett , National Economic Council director Pete Hegseth , defense secretary The Atlantic releases entire Signal chat showing Hegseth's detailed attack plans TARA COPPAssociated Press Pete Hoekstra , ambassador to Canada Tom Homan , border czar Mike Huckabee , ambassador to Israel Jared Isaacman , NASA administrator Ronald Johnson , ambassador to Mexico Keith Kellogg , special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , health and human services secretary Department of Health and Human Services will cut 10,000 jobs as part of a major restructuring plan AMANDA SEITZAssociated Press Karoline Leavitt , White House press secretary Kelly Loeffler , administrator of the Small Business Administration Howard Lutnick , commerce secretary Dr.

Marty Makary , Food and Drug Administration commissioner Linda McMahon , education secretary Stephen Miller , White House deputy chief of staff Elon Musk , Department of Government Efficiency Peter Navarro , White House senior counselor on trade and manufacturing Janette Nesheiwat , surgeon general Kristi Noem , homeland security secretary Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaks during a news conference to announce the re-launch of the VOICE office, Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement, with families of victims behind her, at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters, April 9, in Washington. Dr. Mehmet Oz , Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Kash Patel , FBI director David Perdue , ambassador to China John Ratcliffe , CIA director Brooke Rollins , agriculture secretary Marco Rubio , secretary of state Dan Scavino , White House deputy chief of staff Rodney Scott , Customs and Border Protection commissioner Scott Turner , housing secretary JD Vance , vice president Russell Vought , director of the Office of Management and Budget Mike Waltz , national security adviser Matthew Whitaker , ambassador to NATO Susie Wiles , White House chief of staff Steven Witkoff , special envoy Chris Wright , energy secretary Lee Zeldin , Environmental Protection Agency administrator President Donald Trump speaks during an event with auto racing champions at the South Portico of the White House April 9, in Washington.

Worked in the Trump administration during his first term : Rollins, Scavino, Greer, Ratcliffe, Leavitt, Patel, Kellogg, Hassett, McMahon, Whitaker, Hoekstra, Navarro, Scott, Johnson, Vought, Turner, Miller, Homan. Is from Florida, Trump's home when he's not in the White House and site of his estate, Mar-a-Lago : Guilfoyle, Rubio, Waltz, Bondi, Johnson, Witkoff, Wiles, Barrack. Gave money to Trump's campaign or a pro-Trump PAC, according to campaign finance data : Wright, Musk, Lutnick, Loeffler, Zeldin, McMahon, Hoekstra, Bessent, Witkoff, Wiles, Barrack.

Employed by Trump's 2016, 2020 or 2024 campaign (or for more than one) : Scavino, Leavitt, Guilfoyle, Miller, Wiles. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, April 9, in Washington. Previously served in state or feder al public office : Perdue, Burgum, Collins, Vance, Ratcliffe, Loeffler, Noem, Zeldin, Chavez-DeRemer, Rubio, Huckabee, Waltz, Bondi, Hoekstra, Turner, Duffy, Gabbard.

Formerly opposed Trump, by being openly critical of him or running against him for president : Burgum, Musk, Vance, Rubio, Kennedy, Gabbard. Hosted a TV show, was employed by a TV network as a paid contributor or owns a social media company : Nesheiwat, Oz, Musk, Guilfoyle, Huckabee, Hegseth, Duffy. Senate confirms Mehmet Oz to take lead of Medicare and Medicaid agency AMANDA SEITZAssociated Press Has a personal wealth of $1 billion or more, according to AP reporting : Musk, Lutnick, Isaacman, Loeffler, McMahon, Bessent, Witkoff, Barrack.

Was an author or contributor to the conservative policy playbook known as Project 2025 : Ratcliffe, Hoekstra, Navarro, Vought, Homan. Has a personal relationship with Trump, such as a longtime friend, business colleague or person with other close ties to Trump family members : Scavino, Guilfoyle, McMahon, Witkoff, Barrack. ___ Reporting and research from Sara Burnett, Lolita C.

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